VISAKHAPATNAM: Steel City has reported a 27% drop in average crime rate in 2023 in comparison to 2022, Commissioner of Police A Ravi Shankar said during the annual press briefing on Friday.
Elaborating on the statistics, he said 3,513 cases were registered in 2023 as against 4,494 cases reported in 2022. “Crime rate, property offences and road accidents have dropped, while cases registered for drunken driving and cybercrime have seen a spike in 2023,” he revealed.
Number of white collar crimes decreased as 723 cases were reported in 2023 as against 841 in 2022. A spike in cybercrime cases has been reported as fraudsters swindled Rs 31.79 crore in 410 cases in 2023. A sum of Rs 3.27 crore was frozen in 1,995 bank accounts, but only Rs 20 lakh could be recovered, he said. In 2022, a sum of Rs 16.33 crore was swindled in 610 cases.
Crimes against women also dipped with 884 cases being reported in 2023 as against 1,282 in 2022 and 2,797 in 2021, the CP said. As many as 78 rape cases were reported in 2023 as against 127 in 2022 and 167 in 2021. However, a rise in sexual assault cases has been noted with 23 cases being reported in 2023 as against 14 in 2022.
Stating that road accidents have dropped, the top cop said, “As many as 317 fatal accidents were reported in 2023, and 1,180 were hurt. There were 353 deaths and 1,273 injuries in 2022.” Drunken driving cases almost doubled in 2023 with police booking 18,979 drunken driving cases this year as against 9,667 cases in 2022.
However, a rise in sexual assault cases has been noted with 23 cases being reported in 2023 as against 14 in 2022 and seven in 2021.Cases pertaining to domestic violence, kidnap and other crimes against women have dropped, he added.Stating that road accidents have dropped, the top cop said, “As many as 317 fatal accidents were reported in 2023, in which 1,180 suffered injuries. There were 353 deaths and 1,273 injuries in 2022.”
Number of drunken driving cases almost doubled in 2023 with the police booking 18,979 drunken driving cases this year as against 9,667 cases in 2022. Ravi Shankar attributed the rise in cases to strict enforcement. He added that they have procured 200 breath analysers and are keeping a strict watch on bars, pubs and clubs.
He pointed out that there has been an alarming rise in number of cases minors caught driving vehicles. In 2023, as many as 227 minors were caught driving vehicles, as against 106 in 2022. Parents will be held responsible in such cases, he said.
“We are planning to launch a focussed approach with the support of Visakha Citizens Safety Council to bring down accidents. As many as 10 stretches of 3-km each were found to be reporting almost 80% of the fatal accidents. We will deploy traffic commandos and marshals in the identified 10 stretches,” he said.
Further, Ravi Shankar said there is decline in number of murders in the city with 24 murders reported in 2023 as against 39 during 2022.
The number of attempt-to-murder cases were 47 in 2023 against 65 in 2022. He said 18 kidnap and abduction cases were reported in 2023, as against 42 in 2023 and 38 in the year 2021, he added.